Youth Advocacy
Youth Advocacy
Year 4, Week 22 (272 total reports)
25.06.2025-08.07.2025
REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dr. Jerry Goebel
Republicans revealed themselves as the Complacent Cowards they truly are this week, falling in line with Project 2025 and Donald Trump’s OBBB, they will gut the American economy, create a permanent subclass of servants to fawn on the richest 0.001%.
Visual Stories!
The GOP revealed their true colors this week, a party of traitors, willing to sacrifice their constituents for something as reprehensible as a signed MAGA hat. They are a party of Complacent Cowards.
Top Links of the Week
08.07.2025
Why Do So Many People Think That Trump Is Good?
Whenever I read a commentary by David Brooks, I know I’m going in for a deep dive. This time, his thoughts invite us to try and understand the rise and adoration of someone as morally vacuous as Donald Trump. In typical Brooks-style, he takes us back to Aristotle and the role of moral excellence in Greek society, then he plays that forward through the Middle Ages and into the Age of Enlightenment. Finally, he brings us round to the moral relativism and hyper-individualism of the present age, pointing to the rise of Stalin, Mao, Hitler, and—of course—Trump. In the end, Brooks leaves us with a cursory review of the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, and this wrap-up: “Trump speaks the languages we moderns can understand. The language of preference: I want. The language of power: I have the leverage. The languages of self, of gain, of acquisition. Trump doesn’t subsume himself in a social role. He doesn’t try to live up to the standards of excellence inherent in a social practice. He treats even the presidency itself as a piece of personal property he can use to get what he wants.” As I look at those around me at those who worship the MAGA cult and their demigod, I do begin to understand how Trump is a reflection of their inner struggle, a salve for their own personal greed and racism, a way to excuse their acceptance of such a morally reprehensible ruler and the actions he has taken (and is taking). They need an excuse for their callousness, and Trump provides it. They need medication for their moral vacuum, and Trump provides it. They need a reason to be racist, and Trump provides it.
07.07.2025
Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill: Where It Came From, What It Does
This article leads off by calling OBBB (One Big Beautiful Bill) as One Big Beautiful Meat Cleaver as it will divide America further into the haves and have-nots. As William Dowell, the author of this article notes, “Income distribution in the United States is already dangerously skewed. The BBB will make it worse. The top 20 percent of earners in the country already receive more than 50 percent of the annual US payroll. The remaining 80 percent of Americans get to fight over the scraps that remain. Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill can be expected to increase income — and wealth — inequality like a shot of steroids.” No wonder this administration seeks to increase the size of both prisons and its secret police force (ICE); it is also beginning to talk about creating labor camps (forced labor), to respond to its radical immigration policies. Project 2025 is creating a “Mudsill Economy”; a permanent underclass that will serve the richest of the rich, and the OBBB is the framework they are using. The GOP has sacrificed any shred of dignity it might have had (I use the word “might” with emphasis here); some changed their vote for signed merch from the big, orange, one himself! Despicable…
04.07.2024
25 Pics About Billionaires And The Wealth Gap That Show Just How Infuriatingly Unfair The World Is
The bill due to be signed by President 47 today creates the largest redistribution of resources in the history of the United States since George III was king. The result will inevitably be a class confrontation once people begin to feel the effects of this bill (which are designed to kick in until after the 2026 mid-term elections). It takes money from the poor and middle class through canceling health care programs for the elderly and handicapped as well as food programs for children of poverty and redistributes that money into the hands of the wealthiest in the United States. Class confrontation is inevitable; timing is the only question.
03.07.2025
Selling “Alligator Alcatraz” Prison Merchandise Is a Deranged New Low for the GOP
Yesterday, I wrote about the opening of the new Florida Concentration Camp and the glee Trump, Noem, and DeSantis displayed during its opening. I thought that was yet another low for this administration, but, as Charles P. Pierce reveals, this is just a rest stop on this administration’s descent into inhumanity. Now, you can buy “Merch” to display with your favorite Concentration Camp. One can barely imagine buying merchandise for Dachau or Bergen-Belsen, but how is this any different? I suppose those who like to still wear their cult MAGA hats would want to accessorize them with other concentration camp merchandise. How sick…
02.07.2025
The Grand Opening of an American Concentration Camp
To see the three of them (Trump, Noem, and DeSantis) laughing and celebrating at the brand-new opening of what they dub, “Alligator Alcatraz,” but what the rest of us realize is a concentration camp, is sick. If you share in the joy of this massive opening, then you are mentally ill too. President 47 flew in to celebrate this opening. You can count on him being present for openings such as these (and if his budget passes, there will be more), but not at events such as the funeral of State Rep. Melissa Hortman of Minnesota. Sad news though (tongue-in-cheek), the facility flooded the day after the grand opening.
01.07.2025
With the Big, Beautiful Bill, You Can Now Sponsor a Billionaire of Your Choosing
The Atlantic is not prone to sarcasm, so it was with interest (and some delight) that I read this commentary. According to the writer, Alexandra Petri, the OBBB (One Big Beautiful Bill) gives us each a chance to live vicariously through a billionaire of our choice. We get to watch them spend tens of millions to rent Venice for a three-day wedding, buy a larger yacht, or three more helicopters. We get to watch our tax dollars be taken out of medical care, infrastructure, and schools and put into research on living forever, living on Mars, or living with cosmetic transplants. Why wouldn’t Republicans vote for this? Why wouldn’t they continue to line their own pockets with ways to make their lobbyists richer? This is not the OBBB, it is the OOBB; One Obscene Big Bill that the Republican Senate is scrambling to pass so 47 can have it on his desk for (ironically) Independence Day.
30.06.2025
The Republicans Are About to Get Away With the Most Outrageous Lies
What’s the first lie of being a Republican? “We represent you…” The truth is, they represent those with wealth and, increasingly, they represent President 47 and Project 2025. That translates into rights for white males, conservative evangelism, and the richest of the rich. The hypocritical pronouncements of Josh Hawley and Lisa Murkowski face the light of day this week. The gross grifting of Elon Musk, Stephen Miller, Ron DeSantis, and Kristi Noem is all on display for your viewing disgust. Along with their President, they have taken grift to a new level, and this OBBB will lock in their graft for generations to come. Disgusting…
27.06.2025
Yes, the Iran Mission Was Successful. No, We Are Not Taking Questions.
This parody of the “press shouting match” by Trump sycophant, Pete Hegseth, is worth the tongue-in-cheek read. Hegseth’s own mother, Penelope, said in an e-mail, “He mistreated women and displayed a lack of character.” Hegseth says it is too early to tell what the results of the bombing had on Iran’s nuclear facility, but that Trump’s claim that they were “obliterated” is correct. Can you really have it both ways? If it’s too early to tell, isn’t it also too early to conclusively say they were completely destroyed? No wonder few people trust this administration.
26.06.2025
MAGA Dope Pete Hegseth Accidentally Exposes Trump’s Vile Scam on Iran
Trump sycophant, Pete Hegseth, proved a number of things yesterday. When you know you’re caught in a lie, get louder and more aggressive. Lately, we have seen the President drop not only bunker-busting bombs on Iran, but also F-Bombs at the media. The Vice-President flipped the crowd off in a profanity-laced speech at a Republican fund-raising dinner. Judicial nominee, Emil Bove III, told aides to tell federal judges to “F-Off,” and Hegseth yelled in his most screechy fingernails-on-a-blackboard voice at the media during a press conference at NATO. All of this to say, we are not going to get truth from this administration. The press is comparing its conferences with White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, to press conferences in North Korea. What Hegseth reveals is that this administration is peddling a tale that will only fit with the Trump talking points.
25.06.2025
Trump Will Be Left Cursing His ‘Mission Accomplished’ Moment
This president is like a spoiled teen that took a stick and whacked a hornet’s nest in the middle of a village, all while everyone else was telling him not to. He did not destroy that nest (though he says he did), and now the village must bring in responsible adults to fix the mess he caused. Of course, the administration is denying the leaked reports of Iran’s continued capability to create nuclear weapons. Of course, 47’s administration is going to swear at (and flip off) anyone who contradicts them. But despite their feverish denials, it appears Iran moved most of its nuclear bomb-making material to other locations prior to the strike last week. It also appears the facility was not “obliterated,” but instead, damaged and may face a three-month setback. What happens once that setback is overcome? Obama had a nuclear treaty with this country, and this same spoiled teen (President 45) broke that agreement because… well, because Obama created it. Is this president most upset because his mission largely failed or because it is a definite setback to his plans of getting a Nobel Peace Prize? He’s never been good at making things, excellent at breaking things; what next, Donnie?
